Rebirth
by J.A. Carlton
Summary: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." or in the case of the Winchesters, pushes them closer to their respective destinies. Angst, Hurt, Sam and Dean. Warverse compliant.
1. Chapter 1

Rebirth – Spn fic – Chapter 1.

Disclaimed.

Loved.

A/N - Sorry this came so fast...

OOooOO

**THEN:**

Dean shook his head, "There's no way to kill the demon part of that baby without killing the human part too." He clasped Sam's shoulder, "I'm sorry. The only thing we can do is make the little guy comfortable while he goes to sleep one last time."

Sam couldn't stop himself, there was no time to stem the little rivers that raced down his cheeks. His lips trembled and he bit them tight.

Dean nodded, "Please Sam, I'm begging you, at least I have an idea of what you're feeling… let me do this… let me save you this if nothing else."

--

"He's beautiful!" Kitsune grinned stroking the infants face, already a part of her was in love with him. After all he belonged to Sam and she loved him more than she loved life.

"His name is Neil. It means Champion." Dean grasped the Japanese Demi-god with a gentle hand behind her neck, "Whoever you leave him to, make sure it's someone who will raise him as one. Please." His voice cracked as he handed the child over to the woman.

Dean looked at the fuzzy headed, stag antlered deity, "Take her wherever she wants. Send no one to watch over her or the child. When she's ready she'll return to us. No one can ever know what came of the boy." He explained.

Cernunnos nodded, "As you wish."

"Leave me one of your potion masters." Dean ordered as Kitsune moved toward the veil.

He leaped to Kitsune taking one last opportunity to wrap the woman and child in his arms.

His lips pressed to the baby's forehead, "Your father is a good man who loves you." His voice broke at the last as he fell to his knees and watched the demi-god disappear.

Long moments later, Mustardseed himself touched Dean gently on the shoulder.

"_My king?"_

Behind them, a squad of sidhe were working to put Sam and Crowhawk onto boulder-stools and position them carefully.

"I'm okay." The senior Winchester breathed shakily.

The sidhe, after making sure Sam and Crowhawk were in proper position looked askance at Dean.

"Neither of them will remember passing out?" he asked.

"_No. As you ordered, they will remember nothing but sitting." _Mustardseed smiled sadly.

**NOW:**

"Hey." Dean snapped his fingers in front of Sam's blank gaze, "Sam!"

The blue-greens slid from the tiny mound burning on the pyre to his big brother.

"No…" it wasn't much more than a woosh of air but Dean felt it coming.

Sam launched himself toward the fire, intercepted easily by the older hunter, but keeping the young man under control wasn't going to be easy.

"No! Dean! Lemme go…" his voice cracked as he pushed through and reached over the eldest Winchester's restraining arms, "Stop… I can't… STOOOOP IT! No, NO NO! We can't!" he shrieked now fighting both Dean and Crowhawk who leaped into the fray.

"You can't son," the old Apache tried to reason, "It's too late."

"Sam stop! It's over!" Dean called watching his baby brother's fists close on Crowhawk's jacket and jerk the far shorter man to his toes while his own eyes blazed bright and molten.

Seconds later a strand of blood ran from the Indian's nose and his expression twisted in pain.

"Sam STOP!" Dean yanked the older man away and stood in his place.

Serpentine whispers like dry autumn leaves rolled out of the older brother's mouth, _"The future doesn't have to be what you saw."_ He assured in what had become once again, after millennia of silence, their own language.

Sam froze. His eyes locked on Dean's. The vengeful power of his inner deity was quickly cooled by his confusion.

"What?" Sam barely breathed as Crowhawk pushed himself up groaning and pained.

"Later."

Dean ducked down, helping the old man to his feet, "Sorry man." He apologized.

The Indian shook his head and thumbed away the blood from his nose. Once he had his bearings his wide frightened eyes jumped from Dean to Sam to the fire and back to Sam, "What the hell are you?"

Sam's lips curled back in a snarl, his formidable frame stalked close and towered over the wizened and suddenly very small looking man, "I'm a man without his son." He growled then turned and took his place in the passenger side of the car while Dean smoothed things over.

Miles passed as the Winchester brothers rode in silence. Tears dripped from Sam's chin until he had none left, and when he was too exhausted to be a threat to the one person in his life who knew what he was feeling, finally asked, "What did you mean?"

"Nothing, just… I know you. I know the doom and gloom in your head since all this started…" he peeked at the younger man who was watching him intensely, doing his level best to read every nuance in his expression and hear every twitch in his voice. "We make our own future Sam. There's nothing that's written in stone…"

"Destiny."

"I hate that word." Dean frowned.

"Seems like one we can't escape, why should anyone else escape theirs?" Sam asked weakly before slithering over the bench seat into the back, "I think I'm going to throw up." He groaned.

"There should be a bag back there, or do you want me to pull over?" Dean asked.

"I want a drink, in fact I want a shitload of 'em."

Dean's hand slid into his jacket pocket, his fingers slid over the mushy rubber of a nipple, _mm gotta get rid of this somewhere Sam won't notice. _He thought grateful that in the end both Sam and Crowhawk had been reluctant to be the ones to 'feed' the baby the fatal concoction they'd brewed up. He then grabbed his rectangular flask, the one that held the sidhe sleep draught and tossed it into the back seat. "Here, knock your socks off."

"Thanks."

Dean watched in the rear view mirror as Sam poured the last of the draught down his throat and fell into a deep and hopefully dreamless sleep.

"How the hell am I supposed to get you through this?" he sighed then turned the radio on 'Sammy's-sleeping' low and wondered what his next move should be. And whether he should tell his brother what he'd done.

He couldn't tell Bobby, not yet. There was no telling how he'd react. From the get-go the three of them had been certain the child needed to be killed. It wasn't in any way to blame for being conceived or born, but there was too much at risk. All three of them had known it. They believed it. They understood that in order to save the world they might have to sacrifice an innocent and yet in the clutch, Dean had been the one to freeze.

When Bobby told him the child was being born he'd short circuited. All he could think about was the tortured man in the back seat. The day Mary set Sam into his arms, all the special ways she'd included him in Sam's care, from helping choose his food to prepping the changing table to helping with bath time. And all the times after that when he'd taken what he'd learned from Mary and applied it to the care and raising of HIS baby. She'd always told him that Sam was HIS brother, HIS to look after, and that he'd be HIS best friend so he should be a best friend to Sam first.

Then he'd had the dream or vision or whatever it was. He watched that lioness slink toward a year old Sammy that was standing there grinning at HIM, trusting HIM without a hint of the danger he was in. He'd leaped down the rest of the wall clutching the infant Sam and rolling out of the way of the huntress. When he rose with Sam in his arms the cat seemed to recognize him and padded contentedly back to the shade of the tree. No harm, no foul. It was a clean save, that time.

"Yeah, in _my_ vision or dream… not so much in yours," he sighed pinching his eyes dry then pulled his cell phone and scrolled to the third name on the list. His eyes fell to the orange indicator on the dash, "When we stop for gas." He assured himself. After all, if there was one person he could talk to who _might_ side with him, it was Laura.

OOooOO

In the beautifully wooded glade in the realm between worlds, Laura sat before a large ancient stump, it's top shifting and undulating as scaled geography rippled its surface. Beside her stood Kitsune holding a beautiful baby boy in her arms and cooing at him.

"I know of a place," she smiled leaning down then motioned to the map with one hand, "May I?"

"Sure." Laura leaned back.

"Would you hold him?"

"I'd love to."

Kitsune passed the newborn to the far larger woman and smiled at the instant funny faces and silly sounds she made to entertain the child.

Moments later there was a scale representation of a huge part Mt. Everest. In seconds she'd honed in on what appeared to be a 'tiny' Tibetan building seemingly carved into its face. "Here. The monks are wise, and strong and will give him every advantage that living in the world would deprive him of." She explained.

An instant later her brows furrowed, "Will he be safe here? As I think he will?"

Laura smiled, jostling the baby, then kissed his forehead and handed him back.

She held her hands over the spot, then over the region. "I can't feel war here. This would be a better place than most I think." She nodded.

The demi-god's gratitude was obvious as she leaned on Dean's woman. "Thank you so much for helping me protect him."

Laura nodded, "We're family," she stroked the infant's cheek, "it's what we do." Then she glanced down as Mustardseed approached.

The stump went flat leaving no trace of geographical evidence as the sidhe reached them.

"_My Queen?"_ He bowed reverently.

"Mustardseed," Laura smirked, gently grasping his shoulder, "You've no need to bow to me my friend please." He straightened up and delighted as she cupped his face, "Will you help us?"

He leaped back, straight as an arrow and formally bowed to each woman, gladly accepting the challenge.

"Thank you." Kitsune bowed in return.

"Thank you." Laura pressed her temple to his smiling tenderly at him.

"I don't know how long it will take the king to contact you." Kitsune smiled, "but I could feel his need for you. It should be soon."

Laura nodded, "Maybe I'll beat him to the punch. Go, be safe, and tell them to take good care of my nephew."

Kitsune nodded, "I will and they will. I'll be back in a reasonable amount of time."

"Sam'll need you."

With a nod of her head she turned, heading toward the far end of the glade where Mustardseed would take her to begin the circuitous route to the adoptive 'family' of the son of humanized deity.

Once they were gone, Laura sat at the stump and watched as its surface roiled again before becoming another scale image of a landscape with a woody looking version of the Impala racing along a highway.

Her hand hovered over the car, her head tilted to the side and the landscape ahead shifted.

Motels and hotels lined the highway. She chose one along the route.

The 'scape shifted until an image of Dean's troubled face sighed.

She stroked the woody effigy and leaned in toward its ear to whisper, "Come to me."

The effigy sighed.

She leaned back, wiped the stump flat and grabbed her overnight bag.

She moved to the edge of the veil, grasped the fabric between realities in her fingers and gave a gentle tug that enveloped her car. Once it too was behind the veil she gave another quick tug until she was in the parking lot of the hotel she'd 'thought' to Dean.

Cernunnos emerged from the trees smiling benignly while he embraced her tightly, "Nicely done. Are you aware that Dean moved the veil from outside of it last night?" he asked.

A huge grin lit her face, "I'm not surprised. My love is exceptional."

"It does seem that he's finally coming into himself," the god of fertility and rebirth nodded. "Maybe there's hope for this world after all."

"He and Sam saved the universe, they can save the world."

"Give him comfort. He's still unable to see all the threads, to see the web for what it is. He acts on instinct."

"His instincts are truly all he needs."

"Not if he's to keep his sanity intact. His body is human. His soul may be immortal but it's housed…"

"I know," she bit partly chaffing at the reminder that the man she loved would one day physically die and then she'd be relegated to finding him all over again. It was a glimpse into her own possible and perhaps inevitable insanity that she didn't want to take. "Unless…" she sighed.

Cernunnos nodded, "If anyone can it's you. Look how far he's come already."

Tears welled up in her eyes, "I love him so much."

The stag horned deity wrapped her in a comforting embrace, "He is exceptional, as you said. Keep your faith in him strong, I know you won't be disappointed."

"I know." she smiled then slipped past the barrier leaving the deity she'd served for over twenty five hundred years just to find Dean, to wait for her love's arrival.

OOooOO

Tbc.

Please R&R.

Thanks. Sifi.


	2. Chapter 2

Rebirth – chpt 2.

By: sifi.

OOooOO

Crowhawk's trailer, Arizona. 3:33 a.m.

A stab ran through the side of his head, from his left temple downward into the right underside of his jaw. Half of his face went numb as the muscles clenched then let go. He didn't feel the strand of saliva that slid down his now partially opened mouth. He was too occupied trying to fight fire that burned through his whole right side while he reached for the phone with his left.

Somehow, he managed to get to his feet and dial 911 before a series of explosions in Technicolor burst through his brain and he fell to the floor.

OOooOO

On The Road.

Dean couldn't see straight anymore. He knew part of him was running from the last few days but if he didn't give in and stop now exhaustion could hurt not just him and Sam, but someone else too.

The next motel listed on the highway marker was a low rent chain. Not their usual 'nowhere'sville' motel, but barely the next step up.

He pulled up, got him and Sam a room then parked in front of it next to a gold four door sedan that looked conspicuously familiar.

"Nah." He shook his head while peering into the front seat. "No friggin way!" he whispered grinning.

"Yes friggin' way." She countered from the room beside the one he'd been given.

His world went sparkly for a moment before he lurched between the cars, grasping her up into his arms and swinging her around smiling luminously.

His smile took possession of hers until hers took possession of his. Neither of them knew how long they leaned against the car savoring each other.

"My god I missed you! Don't ever go away that long again. Don't ever go away again." He whispered headily. His lips brushed hers, then mumbled their way down her neck. Her hands slid through his hair, grasping his neck and sending shivers through him and playing just a few of his happy spots. "Where've you been? Where've you been? Why'd you have to be away so long? Can you forgive me?" he murmured as if drunk.

"I'm sorry," she breathed with a smile and held his head away from her, "And what is there to forgive?" her hand slid down his front, a knowing smile on her face as she gave him the lightest stroke just below the belt line, "did you give this to someone else again?"

"No." he shook his head, "I made a promise."

"So what's to forgive?" she asked.

"I lied." He motioned to the back seat, "It was a betrayal, but I didn't know…" he shook his head and calmed his breathing, "I couldn't. Sam's hurting." He stopped and examined her open expression, "Do you know what happened?" he asked.

"Let's get settled inside and you can tell me."

Together they wrangled the lanky young man into the room where they stripped his jacket off, and his shoes then tucked him snugly into bed while they sat up, watching, just in case he awoke in despair.

Dean didn't have to say anything, both he and Laura were thinking the same thing. A time not so long ago in spite of the lifetimes they seem to have lived between, when Sam had nearly swallowed the muzzle of his .45. If Laura hadn't awoken when she did and stopped him, he might have missed all the times that allowed him to come to know his brother as a man in his own right. All of it in spite of the agonies they'd suffered and seen each other through.

"How much have you remembered?" Dean asked wondering where and how she could have gotten her memories back after their encounter with the Ifrit.

They were nestled in the other bed, Dean with his back to the wall and Laura leaning gently against him, seated between his legs. His hand slid through her hair, combing it absently with his fingers. Occasionally he'd slip the silky curtain aside and lay his lips to her neck, but for the last few hours, his gaze hadn't drifted more than a few feet from Sam.

"Everything." She nodded grateful he couldn't see the wry smile on her mouth, he'd have too many questions.

"Really?" he asked gently turning her head to look into her eyes. "How?"

"I think just… getting out there and hunting started it. Then it was like a cascade and I remembered everything."

"Why did you stay away so long?" he asked sounding faintly hurt, "I haven't seen you since out little rendezvous in Summerville last month while Sam was in the hall of records."

"You and Sam have a mission. Someone has to stop Lucifer and if the cherub's God won't step up to the plate it's going to have to be the ones that came before, you two are the only other beings who can do it. You know that."

"You're not a distraction." Behind her, his body tensed, his legs and arms clamped around her and he wanted to pull her into him, "When you're with me I feel closer to," he paused wondering again at the possibility of destiny, his mind filled with an image of the four tablets, "who I really am than any other time."

He sighed into her. His hands roamed over her, "Sam's supposed to serve as his vessel and I'm supposed to let Michael turn me into a fucking vegetable IF I'm lucky. We thought Neil was supposed to be the vessel, we thought that's why Lilith," his voice cut off. He still couldn't bear to utter the word. "_hurt_ Sam."

"Have you ever seen the movie Constantine?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Maybe the baby was supposed to be a vessel for Lucifer's own son." She suggested and felt him stiffen behind her. "Maybe he wanted his family to be able to walk the earth with him."

"Oh my god." He breathed into her ear as a sweat broke out over him and a shiver danced up his spine. "Oh no."

In his arms, she turned to face him, wrapping her legs around his hips. His hands lay on her thighs radiating warmth through her jeans. "But that's just a movie." He shook his head.

"Some of the lore was based on apocryphal texts," she started.

Dean shook his head, "Apocryphal?"

"Other texts that weren't included in the bible."

His eyes opened wide and he shook his head. His hands clenched onto her to keep from shaking.

He leaned forward, until their foreheads rested together, "I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill him." He barely even whispered. "Sam doesn't know. He thinks…" the shivers finally cut off his voice.

Her hands closed gently on his soft stubble, "I know."

"You don't understand. We had it all set, that lady you sent me to see for the herb? I went and saw her and it dawned on me that I just couldn't kill him, anymore than I could've killed Sam when dad told me I might have to. It just… wasn't…" his breath trembled.

She pressed her mouth to his and held their chests together until their hearts beat in time. "I know love, I know what you did. And I think it was the right thing."

"You do?" he asked.

"I do. More tragedy has been written in human history because of half understood or misinterpreted prophecies, or simply the inability of the human mind to consider implications that aren't immediate. Killing the boy would have been an act of fear, keeping him alive was an act of faith."

"Bobby says faith isn't my strong point."

"Then he's blind as well as broken." She shook her head, "Faith is everything you are. Faith in your mother, in John, in Sam to not fall, faith is your very heart. The only person you're afraid to put faith in is yourself and that's okay for now. You'll see you're deserving of it when the time comes."

"What do you know?" he asked suspiciously.

"I know you." She seemed to glow as she pressed them together taking him sweetly captive.

In the bed opposite them Sam's drowsy gaze wandered away from the couple and he wondered if he'd heard right or if it was all just a wishful dream.

He didn't feel like he was going to have a hangover, he didn't even taste the telltale sour of whiskey-acid in the back of his throat and had a feeling Dean had given him sidhe sleep draught instead of the liquor he craved after watching the baby burn.

A moan slid out of him and he curled onto his side, his movement breaking Dean and Laura apart. _Sorry guys,_ he thought hazily as they curled onto their sides, cradled together and watching over him.

OOooOO

Singer's Auto Salvage. 9:30 a.m.

"Are you shittin' me?" Bobby asked then shook his head, "How the hell did it happen?" He listened shaking his head and didn't have to look too hard to find supernatural connections. "Yeah alright. Thanks for letting me know. You bet your ass I'll be prayin'."

OOooOO

"Son of a bitch!" Dean grumbled into Laura's mouth.

He grabbed his cell and she grabbed his butt catching a handful of firm packed jeans as he smiled.

"This better be good." He snarled listening to the familiar sound of Sam showering and glad he'd remembered to take the razors and the electric shaver out to the car. Sam could shave later while Dean made sure he wasn't going to slit his wrists, strangle himself with the cord or drop the damned thing in the shower and electrocute himself.

"Hey Bobby." He listened for a second, frowning, "No way! What? When? No, he was fine when we left him. What'd the doctors say? A coma? Are you shittin' me?" he groaned as the memory of a line of blood running down Crowhawk's face last night while in Sam's irate deific grip came to him. _"Crowhawk's in a fucking coma, who the hell is reading him?"_ he heard in the back of his brain. "How many?" he asked then gasped, "Holy shit how the hell does someone survive that?" He listened then nodded, "Yeah, everything went like clockwork. I mean Sam had a minor freakout but by then it was too late, the baby was already gone. Yeah, and he was fine when we left. Yeah, hey keep us updated willya? Thanks." He closed his phone and sat on the edge of the bed, scrubbing his stubble.

"What's up?"

"Crowhawk had a series of strokes last night, they said four mini's followed up by two full-on ones. He's in a coma."

"It's surprising he's alive. What happened?" she asked just as the shower shut off and the sound of the curtain being thrown screeched into the main room.

"Sam had a moment… he kinda went a little Marduk on piss'dosity y'know?"

"You think he did it?"

Dean nodded, "The old man got a nosebleed and he was lookin' a little like Mr. Migraine came calling." he looked at her, "But he wasn't himself, he tried to rescue the little guy from the fire and we stopped him, we were holding him back."

"Good thing."

"I have to tell Sam."

"Tell me what?" the young hunter asked emerging from the bathroom swathed in a towel.

"To…tell you about Tom, Crowhawk." Dean stammered.

Sam stopped digging in his bag and turned to his big brother, "What happened?"

"He has a series of strokes last night. He's in the hospital."

"What? Is he okay? I mean is he going to be?"

Dean shook his head, "They can't say."

"What do you mean 'they can't say'? How bad is he?"

"He's in a coma."

Sam sat on the bed, his dream from the day before yesterday came crashing down around him, he still couldn't tell if it was a dream or a vision, but he didn't like this particular turn of events at all, _"Crowhawk's in a fucking coma, who the hell is reading him?"_ he heard in his head. _Course if it was a vision then that would mean that Neil was alive._ He thought and looked up at Dean, but couldn't voice the question.

He could feel her breath hot on the side of his face as she leaned over his mangled body triumphantly, _"You have fathered the murderer of the world…" _

He felt his mouth move, but no sound came out and he wondered if he was ready to know the truth. Which would be worse? His own flesh and blood burned to ash on a tiny funeral pyre or his son alive somewhere and learning how to murder the world.

"Oh man." He slumped.

Dean nodded, "Look, he could still come out of it on his own, or…" he stalled.

"Die." Sam grunted.

"Yeah."

"Or he could have his brains completely exploded in about seven years." Sam muttered watching his brother's face intently.

"That's only one possibility Sam."

"Do you have any idea what the hell I'm talking about?" Sam asked.

Smirking faintly Dean looked up and met his little brother's eyes. "I know exactly what you're talking about."

Frustrated indignation drew the youngest Winchester tightly together as he looked at the older man, "Really?"

"Sunny day, playing ball with your seven year old boy. You throw a classic knuckle ball and it sails into his glove like it's magnetized…" he paused watching Sam's jaw drop open and his expression relax almost in wonder, "It's a picture perfect father/son moment till his eyes glow deep… you send him to get a go bag, I pull up, he screams for you…"

"How the hell can you know that Dean? I never told you about that, how do you know!?" Sam demanded. There was no heat of anger in his words just fear and curiosity vying for space. "You were out getting supplies and running errands."

"I know."

"Then how?"

"I'm thinking it started with Pipeline. We were both dosed with it. I knew everything she did to you Sam." His voice dropped low and his gaze went back to the pain the first succubus unleashed on his brother, "I felt everything she did, like I was trapped in your body, only of course I wasn't."

Horror washed over the young hunter's face. It was bad enough Dean knew the facts of what she'd done, but to learn seven months later that he'd experienced it too just tore deep into his heart and made his everything shrink in shame.

"Even before then things were getting strange, you know that as well as I do. It's been building for the last few years, ever since the Turnbull case, the first exposure to Enki and Marduk and Tiamat… I think Pipeline just broke down the last of the walls."

Sam shook his head, "But I can't feel you."

"'Course you can. But I think you're more of a natural at keeping yourself to yourself. You've been psychic for a long time, it's probably a reflex."

A shiver shot through Sam while he sat pondering this new development in their lives. He slipped his shirt on, then drew his shorts and jeans on up under the towel.

"Does that mean…" _my son's alive? Did you save him? What did you do Dean? Do I want to know? SHOULD I know? _He shook his head. _I can't, not right now._ He decided.

"Is there coffee left?" he asked.

Laura hopped out of bed and poured him a cup.

"Thanks." He nodded and leaned in, taking a bit of comfort when she caressed his cheek and pressed her lips to his temple.

"You gave me sleep draught last night instead of whiskey." He said.

Dean nodded. "I'da had to take you in to get your stomach pumped if you'd started on Jack."

"Probably." Sam admitted, "Thanks."

After several moments of silence Sam finished draining the coffee then looked Dean deep in the eyes, "So… as Buffy would ask, 'where do we go from here?'"

Dean huffed a smile, "That was an awesome ep! Mmm SMG…" he sighed leaning back as Laura bent down, kissing him upside down. "MMmm sing for me?" he smiled.

"Later." She promised looking up as a trio of tiny knocks sounded.

Sam shook his head smiling faintly and rose.

At the peep hole his smile grew wide and tremulous as he opened the door, letting Kitsune into the room and taking her tightly into his embrace.

Salty tears found their joined lips while the door swung closed behind her.

OOooOO

Tbc.

Please R&R.

Thanks. Sifi.


	3. Chapter 3

Rebirth – chpt 3.

By: sifi.

OOooOO

Dean sat wearily on the edge of the bed in Laura's room and held out his arms, his fingers grasping toward her.

With Kitsune here, they had no need to worry that Sam would do anything rash.

Laura moved to him, standing between his legs, her arms draped gently around his head, and his around her rump, holding her to him.

"What do you think?" she asked.

He inched her shirt up, exposing a sliver of tummy and pressed his lips there. His head rolled back and forth, "Mmm mm, he's not ready to know yet."

"You felt it?" she smiled as her tummy twitched when he undid the button of her jeans then placed his lips there.

"Mmm hmm." He nodded rolling his head against her hand as she caressed him. "But he will be," he sighed against her flesh and rolled the zipper down.

At the back of his head her fingers slid into his hair then clamped to gently pull him away from her. His arms fell to his sides as she leaned down capturing his mouth, pressing him back onto the bed.

She straddled his hips, her fingers feather light against his skin when she slid them up under his shirt and dove forward, her mouth sliding from the rim of his jeans up his quaking belly, to the divot below his throat. After she swept the shirts away she moved up his neck, nibbled at his jawbone then savored his mouth.

OOooOO

Sam's hands slid up her slender neck, cradling her head gently. He brushed her lips with his, his fingers sliding to the front of her throat deftly slipping the buttons of her blouse open as her hands mined up his shirts, stroking his plateaus and valleys, making him tremble and quake with heady anticipation.

He grasped her up into his arms sweeping her onto the bed. Overcome by urgency he stripped the blouse away, his hands slid to her breasts, his mouth moving between them while firm springy flesh filled his palms.

Joy shining in her eyes Kitsune pulled his shirts over his head, her lips moved to his neck while her hands slid down his back, tracing the lines of his muscles for miles until she reached his jeans. Her slender fingers slid into the waistband, riding it around until she reached the front.

Sam swept her hands away, grinning mischievously. His fingers curled into the waistband of her jeans, his eyes sparkled into hers as she raised up her hips.

With a swift tug and an easy slide he drew the garment off then sat on his heels, his eyes roaming hungrily over her form.

She reached for him. He captured her tenderly holding both wrists prisoner in a single hand. He slid off the side of the bed, easing her captive limbs over head and holding them there. His mouth fell to hers while his free hand roamed and explored her writhing landscape, coaxing forth moans and squeaks of delight that set his nerves on fire.

"Don't move," he breathed releasing her wrists so he could remove the last two pesky garments that concealed her treasures from him. Gladly she held the pose relishing the feel of his hands on her skin, the firm gentle touch that knew exactly what it wanted, and exactly what it could give in return.

"Sam…" she panted, "Please…"

Wordless he shook his head climbing back onto the bed at her feet. He grinned cradling her ankle and planted his lips there.

"Please?" she squeaked while his mouth made its way up her inner leg.

"No." he denied firmly before his smile plowed into her center reveling as she gasped and bucked.

OOooOO

"Oh god… god oh god stop! Stop!" Dean laughed grasping Laura's head, drawing her back up to him, "You gotta stop."

"That's not how it works."

He chuckled drawing her down onto him, his hand cupped a breast as he kissed her gently, tasting himself on her, "I need to be in you," he breathed, "unless you don't…"

"I thought you wouldn't," she smiled stroking his cheek, her finger drawing a tantalizing line from his luscious mouth, down his throat, riding the road map of scars that ended at the root of his engorged manhood.

"Let's hear it for communication," he pressed his head back into the pillow, a finger tracing the line of her face while her hand grasped him, thumb stroking over his head.

"I'm hungry," she groaned sliding her lips back down his body.

"Nah nah…" he grasped her up to him then flipped them.

She opened readily with a leg over his back, set him into position and with a quick nudge from her leg slipped him into her.

"Holy shit!" he gasped holding still knowing the slightest movement would spend him before he could bring her satisfaction. "Wait…" he grinned lowering his mouth to suckle breasts one at a time. She arched under him, his hands slid behind her back and his hips slowly, cautiously began to move.

OOooOO

Sam's fingers splayed over her perfectly rounded buttocks.

"My God you're beautiful…" he sighed priming her, the sight of her back arching downward for him drove him to distraction as he brought himself to her, nudging her open gently, centimeter by centimeter until she acclimated to his size and was ready for the whole of him.

Deep inside he leaned forward, one arm encircled her low, the other a little higher as he gently raised her up helping her perch on him while his rhythm slowly worked from below.

He leaned her back against his chest, his hands stroking her from breast to below, the sound of her bliss music that moved his body and helped to heal his heart.

OOooOO

"I don't think I've ever seen you look that relaxed. Ever." Dean smirked at the sight of his little brother lounging on the hood of the Impala, stretched out up against the windshield with a cup of coffee in his hand.

Dean, with his own cup of coffee assumed the same position on the driver's side.

"You look pretty relaxed yourself."

"Oh yeah. Kitsune sleeping?"

"Yep. Laura?"

"Yep."

Smiling hugely they tipped their cups together and sat back.

"Brothers are important." Sam said.

"Everybody should have at least one." Dean agreed.

"I want to give Neil one."

Dean's head turned, they met eyes and smiled easily at one another, "So you know?"

"I know." Sam nodded, "Thank you."

"Welcome. How?"

"I heard you and Laura talking last night, then just now… I felt it. I could smell him on Kitsune. You enlisted her to help keep him safe right?"

"How pissed are you?" Dean asked.

Sam shook his head, "I'm grateful." He leaned back, one arm behind his head and sipped on the coffee, "I don't think we should tell Bobby."

"Me either."

"Do you know where he is?"

"Nope."

"Good." Sam nodded and took another sip. "Dean?"

"Hmm?"

"What's happening to us?"

"Besides growing up?"

"Mmm hmm."

"I think we're reaching for our potential Sam. If we can stop Lucifer and save the world we might just get a chance to grab it."

At his side, Sam nodded and took another swallow of coffee while his gaze followed a puff of white cottony cloud against a clear blue sky.

OOooOO

Tbc.

Please R&R.

Thanks. Sifi.


	4. Chapter 4

Rebirth – chpt 4.

By: sifi.

OOooOO

"We have to protect him." Sam sighed, "he's alive and right now only Castiel's God knows what purpose Lilith truly intended him to serve. I mean I'm sure _she_ really did…" _"…murderer of the world…"_ her voice whispered in the back of his head.

Sam shook his head, "but he has to have a choice." He looked worriedly between Dean and Kitsune, "You wouldn't have saved his life if you didn't think he had a choice." He looked pleadingly at Dean, "Right?" then to Kitsune who clasped his hands in hers, "Right?"

"Damned straight." Dean nodded. _It's an option. Do I bring it up now? Or save it for an ace? Sam can I just hand the torch to you man? You're the son of my soul. You're almost ready. But almost isn't good enough here is it? Not yet anyway._

"Yeah well, I want him to have a chance to live a normal life. The kind that Dean and I never got, and to do that we're going to have to work behind the scenes to protect him." Sam slugged back a hearty swallow of whiskey then passed the bottle to Dean. "Considering what we are, it shouldn't be that hard." He continued as the bottle made its rounds, "I mean I'm the son of the king of the gods…" he flicked his thumb at his big brother, "he's the King of the gods," then to Laura, "You're the embodied goddess of war, love and the heavens,"

"Talk about greedy." Dean smirked.

Laura shouldered him good naturedly.

Sam then turned to Kitsune who kept her expression impassive. She was a demi-god, a creature not nearly so powerful as the souls she was surrounded by in spite of being extremely powerful and ancient in her own right. "And you're a storehouse of skill, knowledge, wisdom and the woman I love, the one I want to bear me more children," the last fell gently between them as he gazed into her eyes, "I want you," he breathed then slid down to the floor on one knee totally oblivious to the questioning smiles on Dean and Laura's faces, "Be mine?" he asked then shook his head, "I can't ask you to Marry me no matter how much I want it. Let me love you for however long we've got? Mother my children? And even if we don't have any, be mine?" he repeated blushing madly and feeling as clumsy as a pre-teen asking for a date.

Tears left shiny tracks on her face. Her hands fell to his cheeks, a tremulous smile shook her lips as she nodded, "I am only for you my king." Then pressed her mouth to his.

Across the room Dean grinned luminously. Laura thumbed away a tiny tear as he turned to her.

"Can't ask her to marry him? Why the hell not?" He whispered before she captured his lips.

"Later." She promised.

The bottle made another pass around the room before the quartet settled down to the serious business of contemplating protection for Sam's firstborn son.

OOooOO

"Well then what about the shitload of sigils Castiel carved into us?" Dean suggested and hit the bottle again.

Sam winced, "Those HURT! Like a motherfucker! You want to do that to an infant?"

"No but it beats being turned into a meatsuit for Lucifer or _his _son. Besides it can't be more painful than getting circumcised and neither one of us remembers that… entirely." He frowned then shuddered and muttered, "sick bastards."

"His skeleton is made of hyaline cartilage right now it hasn't ossified." Laura took the bottle from Dean and hit it herself before passing it forward to Sam.

"English baby, English." Dean kissed her cheek.

"It's not bone yet, it shouldn't hurt as much." She clarified.

"Do any of you know how to do that?" Kitsune asked.

Sam, Dean and Laura traded looks. Laura shrugged while the Winchesters shook their heads stymied.

"Mmm no."

"Uh uh." Dean shook his head.

Laura shook her head, "Don't look at me, I think it's one of the best ideas I've heard." She looked between the boys, "It can't be that hard."

Their expressions dropped into disbelief.

"Castiel's an angel. You two house the souls of Gods. You can figure this out, it shouldn't be difficult."

"Why don't we just get Cas to do it himself?" Dean suggested, "I mean the guy's an outcast among his own kind, WE're pretty much all he's got till he finds his God." He shrugged looking around, "Worst he can do is say 'no' and we're pretty much back to square one right?"

"Problem is that means one more… person? Knowing what no one is supposed to know, not anyone but you and Kitsune anyway." Sam half frowned. "The more people know this secret the worse, if one side finds out he's alive it's a sure bet the other's going to find out soon enough and who says Lucifer can't sniff him out on his own? Or that somehow the scent'll come to him, no, we can't take that chance. As long as he's alive he's our responsibility, or mine at least." Sam shook his head.

"Ours." Dean nodded, "I'm the one who made the final decision. He's as much my responsibility as yours Sam."

The younger hunter nodded then looked at his lady, "Does anyone else know where he is?" he asked.

"Not even the sidhe." She answered obliquely.

"Good. Can you bring him to a safe, defensible location while we get Cas here?" he asked.

"Yes." She nodded, "I just need to get behind the veil. I'll send Mustardseed when I've returned with him. Will that do?" she asked.

Sam leaned in tasting her sweetness, "Perfectly." He smiled reaching over for the canister of salt in his bag.

Dean rose to his feet, "Sam."

"Huh?"

"We don't need that."

"What do you mean, we need to open the way…" Sam turned watching, floored stupid as his big brother raised his hand to shoulder height and gave a quick poke to the fabric of reality. Slowly a familiar doorway shimmered into existence for the demi-god.

"Hoooooleee sonuvabitch… how the hell did you learn to do that?" Sam breathed astonished.

Dean shrugged, "It just sorta… came to me."

Sam kissed his girl, "Be safe. Let us know when you're ready."

"I will." She agreed before disappearing.

Sam felt his heart thundering in his chest as Dean leaned over and with a sweep of the hand sealed the realms apart once more.

"This isn't growing up…" Sam breathed shaking his head, "What the hell is going on with you?" he half demanded. "First you're sharing my experiences, okay I can buy that Pipeline's responsible for that but then my visions? I mean that shit's supposed to eventually wear off Dean not get stronger. And now you're channeling Enki's power and opening doorways between worlds… what the _hell_ man?"

A frown turned his mouth down, he shook his head and shrugged just as mystified by these things as his little brother. "I don't know." He admitted taking a step toward the bed.

Sam and Laura caught him before he hit the floor.

OOooOO

"…and how many times did I find you on the floor after a vision? Or trying to hide Niagara Falls flowing out of your nose when you started trying to exert some control?" Dean grumbled weakly, holding his head in one hand and squeezing his nose shut with the other.

"Far as I know I never had convulsions over any of it." Sam argued.

"Far as you _know_."

Sam's thought processes screeched to a halt, "Did I?"

"No." Dean groaned shaking his head, "I think I'm gonna throw up… why didn't I feel like this last night after bringing the veil to the circle?" he wondered aloud.

"You did what?!?" Sam demanded.

"Adrenaline most likely." Laura explained.

"Right," Dean nodded, "…mission high."

"Dean," Sam pulled up a chair in front of his big brother, "you're not wired for this stuff, if you're going to let Enki out, let him use you like this you have to be careful, I mean _insanely_ careful! He almost killed you at Bobby's, riding you the way he did."

"What about after the Ifrit? Not a single negative repercussion Sam…except that he almost let you bone my girl." Their eyes met, there was no anger in Dean's over the issue. If anyone understood an obsessive need for certainty and unconditional love it was him.

Sam's head tilted to the side and his lips pursed for an instant before he shook his head, "I don't know. He wasn't using you to channel power."

Dean rolled his head and checked his handful of bloody Kleenex.

Laura's hand came up under his chin so she could inspect him. "Better," she muttered as another trickle came down to his lip, "But not done." She pinched his nose together, and grasped another handful of tissue for him.

"I'm not saying to not try," Sam leaned back eyeing his brother with frustrated worry, "I'm just saying be careful."

"Sam…"

"I know having control over it's a good feeling, but I know it's painful as hell too,"

"Sam…"

"But Enki doesn't have to live with the consequences of what happens to _you _as long as your body's alive he can use it y'know? And if you're not in there will he bother to protect you from Michael?"

"SAM!" he barked, "Ow…" as his head rang.

"What?"

"It wasn't Enki that did it. It was me."

OOooOO

"I need to know how to mark someone with those sigils your carved into me and Sam." Dean started once Castiel joined them, "Unless you'll do it."

The angel's eyes narrowed as he thought for a moment then looked between the brothers, "You let it live?" he deduced and actually managed to sound surprised. "Why would you do that?" He asked.

"He's my son!" Sam ground between clenched teeth drawing Castiel's curious gaze to him.

"Your reproductive system was played like an instrument. You had no choice in the matter, why would you choose to keep a creature conceived in such a way alive?"

"I will not hold the child responsible for the sins of the mother." Sam explained.

"You were."

Dean's eyes widened in shock. Sam looked from his brother to Laura who shook her head, "Hey don't look at me… your soul was conceived…"

"In love," he nodded grasping at the back of the chair to keep from being overwhelmed by the memory of the sensation. "You're talking about my…"

"Mary Winchester yes."

"Look Cas, the 'why' really doesn't matter," Dean grumbled and rubbed his temples, "what matters is the 'will you'?"

He looked at Sam, "Do you really believe the child has a choice?"

All eyes turned to the youngest Winchester as he gave the question fair contemplation. Long seconds later he looked at Dean, _he never gave up on me, even when Dad did. Dean kept the faith. Even when I stumbled over intentions, he's still holding strong. I wish I had his faith. Can I be that faithful for just this one thing? Yeah. I can do that._ He nodded, "Yeah I really do."

"Then I'll try." Castiel nodded. "Though if you really are trying to save the child's life you might do better not to have me near him."

On the bed Laura sighed hugely relieved and Dean dropped his head into his hands.

Dean shook his head, "What do you mean?"

The angel moved to him, "Why do you look so terrible?"

"He's been channeling Enki's power." Sam answered.

"What? Why?" he asked then grasped Dean by the hair and pulled his face out of his hands so they were eye to eye, "Your form was not built to house or harness such forces. That's why he sleeps so deeply."

"I'm already supposed to be Michael's vessel, I'm built to hold _that_ kind of power."

"Michael is an angel, the highest order of Archangel, but still, only an angel." Castiel paced, "Do you remember when Anna took her grace back from Uriel? The power that was unleashed?"

"Yeah."

"Michael's power is ten fold. Enki's power is ten THOUSAND fold. He was a GOD before my Father was. You have no idea what his powers are capable of or what they could do to you if you start trying to control them."

Dean shook his head, "I'm not _trying_ to control or use them, I'm just… able to do things."

"Do you know?" Sam asked Castiel frowning deeply and again drawing all eyes to him, "I don't mean it like that, I mean I really want to know. Castiel do you have an idea of the extent of Enki's power?"

For a long, agonizing moment the angel looked completely lost. And then he spoke.

"He was a peacemaker between gods or between gods and men, wherever it was needed. It was he whose essence brought life…"

"We know the lore Castiel," Sam interrupted, "Please tell us."

Dean launched himself out of the chair grabbing his ally companionably by the lapels of his rumbled Columbo-like trench coat, "Later. Right now we have a baby to save." He looked from Sam who frowned mightily to Laura who smiled faintly sadly as she gave a little nod then back to Castiel.

"Why don't you do the honors Cas? Can ya get us all there in one 'zap'?" he asked.

"You said last time I zapped you some place you didn't poop for a week. Can you handle that again?"

"I'm a poopin' machine. Take us to the veiled realm."

OOooOO

Dean watched his little brother light up as Kitsune set the tiny infant into his arm. Sam shook his head astounded by something so small it was barely two thirds the length of his forearm.

Dean smiled, glad that for once Sam's tears were born of joy.

"Hey there little guy," the no-longer-youngest Winchester smiled at the bundle.

Those sapphire eyes latched onto his, and that fist stayed right in the mouth. Sam rubbed his cheek against the silky brown hair and sighed. "It's only gonna hurt for a little bit I promise." He pressed his lips to Neil's forehead.

Dean smiled moving unconsciously to his brother's side, "Kid's a lot like you were Sam. Quiet baby. And the way you used to suck on your fist, I swear dad thought it was just gonna melt right off your arm."

Sam's eyes lit up and those mile deep dimples came out to play.

Castiel, standing in front of the boys looked askance at Sam.

"Yeah I'm ready."

He held out his hand, his head turned to the side as he envisioned the sigils.

Sam winced, Dean grimaced, Neil closed his eyes and seemed to drift off to sleep.

"Hmm," Castiel grunted.

"Did you do it?" Sam asked.

"Why isn't he crying?" Dean asked.

"It didn't work." Castiel said.

"What do you mean…" Dean started and instinctively clenched around himself as Castiel rasied his hand at the young man.

"Did you feel anything?" the angel asked.

"What was I supposed to feel?"

"It should've felt like a pat."

Dean shook his head, "Nuh uh, nothing, your mojo's really shot isn't it?"

"I'm outcast, cut off from my father, his house, from the power he gave me."

"So now what?" Sam asked barely able to pry his eyes off the baby.

Dean clasped Castiel's shoulder, "Well, I'm not cut off." He nodded and a heartbeat later raised one hand toward the infant while the other palm pressed firmly to Castiel's forehead.

"Dean!" Sam barked as Neil's cry burst out in full voice then quickly tapered to shuddering snuffles before he finally went back to his quiet observation with his hand in his mouth.

"There. That should do it." Dean straightened the rumpled trench coat, pointedly ignoring the look of trepidation on the angel's face. "Kitsune, take him home." He breathed and bent over clutching his knees, suddenly deeply winded.

For an instant a wave of white rolled through his hair leaving behind a handful of new grays before returning to his natural color.

"Sweetie?" Laura was at his side.

He turned his gaze to Sam who stood a few feet away kissing first his woman and next his son before sending them back to wherever he was supposed to be.

Raging agony split through him as red flowed onto the ground and he knew nothing else.

OOooOO

Tbc.

Please R&R.

Thanks. Sifi.


	5. Chapter 5

Rebirth – chpt 5.

By: sifi.

OOooOO

"You're the first person to visit him that hasn't been police." The nurse whose badge read Sophia smiled and pointed into the room.

"Police?" he questioned turning pale blue-green eyes on the woman. His hand absently scratched at a peeling bit of his cheek.

"Well the circumstances and all. They said he was working some kind of tribal rites or something, but there was nothing on record." She found herself suddenly unable to stop talking about Mr. Crowhawk or the odd ceremonial symbols drawn out of lime in his yard.

"Really?" he asked, his voice soft and warm, welcoming conversation. "And the police were interested in this?"

"Well, the _tribal_ police were. There was a medicine wheel, a pentagram, an altar and even a pyre, they found a small amount of ash but..." she shook her head.

"No remains? Human or otherwise?" he asked.

"No. But they _are_ looking from what I've heard."

Her expression seemed to 'skip' as she thought she noticed something flicker in the pale, haggard man's eyes. A wave of chill washed through her as the faintly rose-like scent of decay seemed to reach up her nose, rolling off him. She took a step back toward the door feeling more than just a little light headed. Cold sweat broke out over her body and her throat closed tight.

"I'll leave you be." She whispered barely able to control a sudden and desperate need to pee.

"Excuse me." She turned tail and ran leaving behind a stream she couldn't control.

As she slammed and locked the bathroom door cold laughter rolled inside her mind. Six hours later, when her body would be found, her face would be frozen in eternal horror.

With the nurse gone he smiled and indulged in a hearty chuckle as he pulled a chair up next to Crowhawk's inert body. "Looks like it's just you and me old man," he patted the Apache's hand.

The Indian's face twisted and his head twitched with the contact. A faint squeak slipped from his comatose throat.

"So, just between you and me," he smiled softly and scratched yet again at his rapidly failing vessel, "where is the child?"

His fingers settled on either side of the Apache's skull and his eyes closed as he dove into the most recent few days of the old human's experiences beginning with the moment he approached the infant in the hospital. In short order a sharp smile sliced his features and he breathed deep the baby's psychic scent, "Hello baby boy..."

OOooOO

Cernunnos turned, everywhere he pointed the land itself rose up surrounding them, protecting them from the dozens of wailing, screeching demons that descended upon the glade almost at the same moment Dean had gone down.

"Shit," Sam swept his hand through his hair, "Where the hell did they come from?" he demanded looking from the stag antlered deity to Castiel, then down to his brother who lay on the ground straining rigidly against Laura's gentle support while his body fought whatever effect was the result of whatever powers he was accessing or cultivating. "How is he?" he asked taking a quick glance over the rim of their above ground fox-hole.

"No sign of recovery… yet." Laura answered.

"Cas what kind of powers do you still have? You zapped us here right? You gotta be able to do something."

The angel shook his head, "I should be able to get us out of here. In all likelihood they'll follow me." He looked penetratingly at Sam, "I didn't know they could penetrate the veil on their own."

"We can't go while Dean's down. If you can't lure them away we'll be in trouble. They want my son?"

"Yes."

"Do you think they made it?" Sam asked meaning Kitsune and Neil.

"If they didn't, we'd know." Cernunnos clapped him on the shoulder. "Mustardseed will gather his troops and attack their flank," then under his breath, "if he can."

Sam's eyes lit up, "If we go, there's igigi in our realm, they'd come." Sam mused.

From the very earth itself Mustardseed's mate, Milkthistle as well as a few of her healing maids joined the group.

"_Run a ring of salt around the inside of the shelter then go hide." _Laura instructed.

"Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?" Cernunnos asked constantly reinforcing their earthen shelter, "I'm really in no position to move the realm."

"Then Sam will have to do it." Castiel said.

"Sam can do it." Laura nodded.

"Excuse me what?" Sam asked pulling the demon killing blade from his ankle sheath. "I'm thinking fighting is the best option we've got."

"Sam our best defense is on our side of the veil. You're going to have to move us back to the motel, or get us as close to it as possible so we can make a run for the room." Laura looked up from Dean's head in her lap to his little brother.

He shook his head, "Laura I don't know how to do that. Best I can do is yank demons out of their hosts and..." realization dawned over his face, he glanced over the rim of the earth wall then back to the woman and finally over to Cernunnos who was dripping sweat for his exertions. "I don't know if I can handle this many."

"Then move the veil and get us to a defensible place!" She ground between clenched teeth.

"You are, as you say, 'wired' for it." Castiel interjected.

A guttural groan stuttered out of Dean as his body went rigid once more and his breath started wheezing.

Laura's hands clamped onto the sides of his head, "Sleep!" she commanded tightly and though he did settle a bit he was a long way away from rest. "Sam please."

"What do I do?" he asked.

"Just give it a tug."

"Just grab it and pull." Laura and Cernunnos said together.

Sam shook his head looking at a complete loss.

"Want it Sam, you have to want it or want what it'll get you." She explained, "_Want_ to get Dean safe." She instructed.

It took far too many long seconds of unsuccessful attempts for the young hunter to even grasp the fabric between worlds.

"AhhhSHIT!" he barked as the earthen wall to his side collapsed and a column of demon smoke bounced against the protection of the salt ring the sidhe females had laid down.

Dripping sweat and with his aggravation twisting his face he turned. His hand sprang outward and his head cocked to the side while he held the demon in place. A breath later the black smoke of its incorporeal form started to spark, the particles of it glowing, bursting and finally dropping while its hellish scream gave him satisfaction.

Laura watched his fingers sink into the fabric of the veil, her eyes caught Cernunnos' and they exchanged faint nods grateful that Castiel was engaged in killing another demon that lingered just outside the salt ring.

"Hang on." Sam ground then leaned and gave a heave that left the world outside racing by at breakneck speed, "Shit!" he snarled holding and killing a second demon while he reversed his grip.

"Wait!" Laura called before he pulled again.

"Yes. This will do well." Castiel agreed.

She leaned down laying a kiss on Dean's forehead, "I'll be back soon love. Rest," she willed, "please, just rest," then looked at Sam, "Wait for us to draw them away then get back to the motel. Take care of him and stay inside until we return."

He nodded easily hoisting Dean over his shoulder. "Take the sword, it's in his ankle sheath."

Castiel's eyebrow shot up, "A sword in his ankle sheath?"

"Gader'el forged it." Sam explained.

"Ahhh," Castiel nodded his understanding.

"I've got mine, you might need both weapons." She drew her own dagger out of an identical sheath Dean gave her about a year after the first time they made love.

The angel took a moment to admire the ruby tinged blade the weapons master to the Gods had created. "It's beautiful."

In Laura's hand the dagger lengthened until she held a finely bladed short sword. "Ready?" she asked.

Castiel nodded.

"Laura," Sam sighed, "Be reckless."

She grinned, her eyebrows jiggling just before she and Castiel dashed back out from behind the veil drawing the attention of the gaggle of demons and giving Sam enough time to move the realm beyond their ability to sense.

"Knock 'em dead cherub." She grinned splitting her short sword into two, one for each hand racing into the fray with blades fluttering like razored wing-tips.

For a long moment Castiel stood and watched, this time his eyes were wide with curiosity and maybe even a hint of awe as the woman who was more a retired Goddess now than human, indulged in ferocious love of battle.

His hand reached out grasping a column of demon smoke and holding it, suffusing it with what was left of his father's power in an act of destruction through purification.

Many of the others turned, heading for Laura now whose blades lashed them with copper light, winding around them and shredding them to destruction. Her expression was open, raw and entranced with her own ability to destroy an enemy at will.

Castiel's head cocked to the side, "Glorious." He nodded before jogging forward to join her.

OOooOO

"We have to get him to safety," Kitsune whispered while unbuttoning her blouse.

Mustardseed's eyes shot to her and widened with blatant appreciation before she slid the tiny precious bundle inside, situated him carefully and closed the top.

The sidhe warrior motioned his squad to take position in the undergrowth. No one had to be reminded to be silent lest the half dozen demons they just managed to shake, be able to zero in on them again.

"_We should return to the king and queen."_ he urged.

The diminutive Japanese woman kissed his cheek, withdrew from one pocket a metal fan and from another a series of deadly metal spines.

"As soon as you can, get back to Sam." she quietly commanded then rose from their woody cover. Two of the demons turned to her.

Seconds later she popped up again from several trees over, and moments later a third, then finally a fourth.

"Over here." She called then ducked beneath the foliage as the copies each did the same.

Moments later, from another vantage she repeated the process.

Having cut ahead, a pair of demons joined forces positioning themselves in an area it appeared she was heading.

They crouched beneath the foliage just in time to watch dozens of tiny spikes fire into their eyes, faces and each other as Mustardseed's squad ran interference. Their weapons could kill igigi but demons were another matter. It took dozens of the sigil inscribed darts to incapacitate a demon and hundreds to kill it. But it was more than enough to buy some time for the young King's woman to escape with the cherished infant.

In spite of their brethren howling their agonies and trouble in the face of the sidhe warriors, the two demons Kitsune or her 'shadows' hadn't managed to kill, took off after two identical red vixens moving in opposite directions.

The sidhe squad stared into the distance as the demons ran, overwhelmed by the tiny warriors. Mustardseed's heavily bearded face creased and frowned deeply.

It seemed he'd almost been waiting for the sharp "yip" that came to his ears. Slowly, pained by the sound, he blinked his eyes.

No command was needed, as one the squad pulled their weapons close and split up, dashing in the direction each vixen had taken to see what they'd be able to find, if anything.

OOooOO

"It happened right after you went down, I mean the _instant_ you hit the ground they were just suddenly there." Sam explained and peeked once more out the window.

They were safe. Not a single demon or hint of one had come after Sam brought them back to the motel over an hour ago. At least for the last 55 minutes he'd had his brother's unresponsiveness to keep his mind off what their friends were doing and possible suffering for them.

"How?" Dean wobbled his head back and forth then dropped it back into his hand and patted the bed beside him.

"I don't know." Sam frowned but sat beside the older man noting the suddenly far more visible quantities of grays in his hair. "Dean how? Why did you do that? _How_ did you do that?"

Dean looked up from under his lashes, too exhausted to raise his head. His eyes were bright green surrounded by blood red where vessels had burst. "I don't know." He practically stuttered.

"Don't do it again." Sam whispered stricken perhaps for the third time in his life with an intense fear he refused to name.

"Tell me everything that happened." Dean muttered. His hand rose, seemingly of its own accord, palm toward his little brother, moving towards his head.

Sam caught his wrist, "Dean! Stop!" he ordered frowning when the older hunter looked at him, unaware that he'd moved let alone of _what _he might have attempted to do. "You have to control the urge Dean." He lowered the arm to the bed.

"I need to fill up..." he muttered absently rubbing his chest.

"You're hungry?" Sam asked.

"No. Yeah... I think." He turned a deeply confused and haggard face to his little brother, "I feel... empty."

A second later, seized by a strange sensation deep in his guts Dean doubled over, "Move." He grunted but let Sam help him to the bathroom.

He sank to his knees, his arms over the toilet bowl. After several long minutes of dry heaving the eldest Winchester sagged breathing heavily and moaned, "Ungh fuck me sideways this sucks." Just as he was about to try and get up he leaned forward again coughing hard enough to hurt Sam until finally it seemed something came out.

Standing in the doorway behind his big brother Sam couldn't bear to watch but couldn't bear to leave the older man's side either.

When he heard the sound of something pretty heavy 'plop' into the toilet bowl his curiosity was piqued.

Slowly Dean leaned up, caught his breath and though he looked twice as awful as before there was admittedly more energy in his movements.

"What the hell?" he asked looking however reluctantly into the toilet bowl. He wanted to know what made that 'plop' too.

"What is it?" Sam asked leaning forward. "Aww c'mon Dean don't..." he winced as the older man reached into the bowl then rose to his feet and moved to the counter. "Eeuch."

"Dude take a look at this."

"Do I have to?"

"If you don't I'll put it under your pillow."

"You..." Sam stopped, "...yeah you would."

Slowly he turned peering cautiously over Dean's shoulder.

A dark wet lump lay in his brother's hand. "What the hell is that?"

Dean gave it a squeeze, the clod burst apart. Striations were visible in the clay-like wad of soil, there were even visible grass seeds but thankfully nothing else.

"Dirt."

"What the hell?" Sam asked.

OOooOO

Tbc.

Please R&R.

Thanks. Sifi.


	6. Chapter 6

Rebirth – chpt 6

By: sifi.

OOooOO

Dean flipped to the left, pulled the blankets over his head and let out a woeful moan.

Sam shook his head, reached into his bag and finally found what he was looking for.

The pill bottle rattled onto Dean's bed.

"No more than two Dean, you know how you get on those things."

The older man grumbled something that sounded like 'thanks' and peeped out from under the blankets. It wasn't often either of them had to resort to the use of over the counter sleep aids, but sometimes, if the pain overrode the exhaustion it was good to have the option.

Fumbling with fingers that felt like sausages Dean finally got the top off and hurriedly dry-swallowed two of the pills then pitched the bottle back to Sam.

The short burst of energy he'd experienced after yakking up the mysterious dirt clod had vanished leaving him edgy, exhausted and feeling like something was clawing around inside his guts.

"Sorry Sam." He yawned.

"What for?"

"Don't mean to hold you back."

"Dean."

"Check the salt and go find them. Help 'em if you can."

Sam was up in a flash. He quickly set everything Dean would need in case of attack on the older man's nightstand including the demon killing knife, then checked his gun and looked at his brother.

"I'll be fine." Dean assured him.

"If you need..."

Dean nodded smiling as the younger man's hand reached out to the side, his long fingers partially disappearing into the fabric of reality. Seconds later he was gone having slid behind the veil with no more difficulty than sliding behind a shower curtain.

"That's my boy," Dean managed to sigh before his head fell back to the pillow and the room filled with soft snores.

OOooOO

In the shade of a tangle of bramble bushes a red ochre colored vixen lay panting, her sharp teeth working for a grip on the shaft of wood that stuck out of the flesh just above her hip. It took several tries while the demon hosts stumbled and thundered through the brush looking for her and the newborn that lay quietly against her breasts but she finally got a grip on the spike. With a solid grip she gathered her strength and sharply turned her head. Sharp teeth chattered as she lay on her side, clear brown eyes wide and liquid scanned the ground, watching feet pass by.

Movement caught the corner of her eye, her blood covered muzzle turned as two sidhe warriors slipped through the entwined thorny branches. At the same time a pike the length of a man shot down from above.

"Whatever you're looking for, you're done." Sam's voice, soft and deadly carried through the air.

Mustardseed knelt beside the wounded bloody vixen while in the world outside the bramble bush, demonic hosts choked and coughed out the remains of their possessors before falling to the ground.

When he was certain the demons were dead he crouched down following the 'over here' motion of one of the sidhe warriors.

"Kitsune," he breathed horrified by the sight.

Quickly he stripped off his outer shirt and slid it under the bush, "Help me get her on this. Where's the baby? Where's my son?" he asked the warrior.

"_She has him safe my king."_ He gently helped move the vixen onto the jacket then raced ahead to hold up the bush branches while Sam pulled her out from beneath it.

Once she was free Sam watched as her legs lengthened, her muzzle shortened and her ochre coat made way for clothing.

"How did you know?" she asked reaching up to stroke his face while pushing herself slowly to her knees. Already her free hand was unbuttoning her blouse while the side of it, just above her hip darkened quickly with blood. "He didn't make a peep." She smiled then grimaced.

Sam swept her easily into his arms and rose, "Let's get him to safety and get you tended. You're gonna need stitches at the very least."

"You can't know where my love."

He paused, his heart thundering in his chest. He tried to find an argument, a reason he should know where his own flesh and blood would wind up, but he couldn't.

"I know." He set her on her feet wrapping an arm over her shoulder while he ducked his head. His lips met hers then moved to the innocent bundle she treasured.

Finally he crouched before the sidhe, "Stay with her, get her wherever she has to go but do not leave her side do you understand me?"

With a sharp nod and sidhe salute Sam opened the veil once more and watched his girl leave under guard with his baby in her trust.

OOooOO

Laura sighed, the twin blades melding back to one before thickening into the smoky rose colored dagger it began as.

"Nice work cherub." She smiled.

"You're injured." He noticed the jagged tear in her upper arm.

She dismissed the injury, "Are you coming back to the motel?"

"I may be of more use trying to learn how those demons tracked me down." He shook his head and turned.

"Castiel," she grasped his arm, "have you had any leads on finding your god?"

"There are many leads. But none of them have affected the talisman."

She smirked, shaking her head. "I should think not."

"Are you going to tell him?" he returned.

"I don't have to. He knows but doesn't realize. He will soon enough."

"Yes," the angel nodded, "he will."

She released him watching as he walked away then smiling softly as he literally disappeared from sight.

With a shake of the head she tapped the air and disappeared as well.

"Is everyone alright?" she asked the deity who was once her patron.

"Fine as far as I know. Mustardseed hasn't come back yet, but Sam moved through quickly, I believe Kitsune ran into some trouble."

"Did you send others after her?"

"No."

"What about Dean?"

"He didn't come through. I presume Sam left him behind." The wooly haired man smiled.

"Interesting." Laura breathed.

"Yes."

With a smile she slid the realm to a lonely alley near the motel then stepped through and walked casually to their motel room.

At the door she jimmied the lock to find the chain on the door.

What she could see of the room was dark and so she stood at the door, her eyes closed, her senses reaching for the man inside. She could feel him sleeping and smiled then closed the door.

Taking a quick look around she raised her finger at the door jamb then traced the seam. A moment later, when she was fairly certain no one was watching she stepped into the room.

OOooOO

The mountain pass was still clear this time of year, it was a single piece of good fortune she was having. Sam sending the sidhe with her was a blessing she hadn't counted on as she leaned on the rock face, a single finger of her free hand gently stroking the infant's face.

Pain burned through her side, driving her to her knees breathless.

"Go ahead, get help." She instructed Mustardseed.

"_Care for her as best you can." _The warrior instructed before shimmering ahead.

"I have to rest," she panted lowering herself to her back.

The warrior pulled her blouse up and the waistband of her jeans down then unslung his bag and laid out his tools.

The wound in the woman's side looked to be little more than a pin hole but the pulsing ribbon of blood that flowed from it told of something vital having been struck.

Exhausted she grasped the warrior's shoulder, "If I do not survive, you must take him and make him safe."

"_You shall survive so long as you bend your strength toward healing."_ The concerned young face scolded then slid his hand into the wound.

Her sharp cry tore the air and chilled the bones of every living thing nearby and set the child wailing into the sky.

As those tiny hands worked within her body to find the trail of wounds that needed repair sweat poured from the demi-god and chills racked her body.

"_This will take longer than I thought,"_ he frowned before tilting a skin to her mouth and bringing sleep to her aid. _"I am sorry."_

While the warrior worked his healing ways, eyes sheltered by stone watched the ancient art unfold. Curiosity and disdain worked the face into a fearsome visage.

OOooOO

The monks were almost ready to leave when Mustardseed arrived. The elder, a wizened man with the stereotypically white hair and yet a more youthful countenance than any sidhe past two hundred years could only wish for, bowed respectfully to the tiny warrior.

"_We must be quick."_

"We heard the cry."

A team of four slung their equipment and bowed their readiness to follow the sidhe.

Equipped with all they would need the team left the humble but lovingly built temple, returning to the path that at any other season may be far to treacherous to pass.

OOooOO

For the hours they traveled the path a nagging sense grew stronger in the seasoned warrior, until he could no longer fight it.

"_Continue cautiously, there are sinister works nearby."_ Then he was gone.

OOooOO

Blood stained the ground. The healing tools and herbs lay scattered. Dirt, detritus and white scuff marks on stone told the sidhe male a story both mysterious and horrifying.

"_No, no, no, no, this cannot be!"_ He muttered dashing over the rocky outcroppings, following the drops and streaks of blood occasionally in circles until he reached the end of the trail, his gruesome findings recalling memories from too few years ago when the world he'd first called home fell under attack from an ancient godling. For months the attacks escalated, sidhe bodies in ever growing numbers, in horrifying states, strewn, flayed, broken and torn. Sometimes he still had nightmares of the things he'd seen and the pains he heard screamed as kith and kin were mauled and eaten alive by the creatures' minions. The queen understood, for months she'd stood with them, fought with them and bled with them. She'd even once or twice tried to die for them so deep had been her own despair.

He crouched, his hand trembling as he reached out, laying his fingers on the nearly severed head of his fellow warrior. Gentle fingers closed the now sightless eyes.

"_Where is the king's son? Where is his chosen Aleheth? Tell me you saved the child..." _he sniffed then drew a blanket of earth over his kin, wishing him great honor and glory in his next life.

With his tiny sincere ceremony over, he began his search in earnest for the cambion child whose destiny the father did not yet know.

OOooOO

"All this pain and suffering can end. _You_ can end it. Just tell me where is the child?" the voice was soft and not unkind. The tone spoke of relief but she'd been around long enough to know that none would come save in death itself.

_He will not come for me, he cannot. There are none who know where I am. Including me._

Soft warm fingers cradled her chin while fire erupted for the questing fingers of his other hand delving into her wound.

"Come now, I know this hurts," he leaned in, his face beside hers, mischief shone in his pale green eyes as he leaned against the wall to which she was bound. "See, I know you're Sam's, you reek of him," he breathed her in, "and I know there's nothing more that you'd like than to be his wife, I mean sure you're willing to settle for concubine... most women would in your place, and you can give him lots of kids. I just want the first one."

Even in the darkness his smirk inflamed her. "None shall have him." She groaned under the questing malice of his fingers. _What's that smell?_ She wondered fleetingly as he pressed his body to hers, his hand working the wound open then writhing inside to grip her innards. Then as darkness took her she realized, _Oh it's chocolate._

OOooOO

Tbc.

Please R&R.

Thanks. Sifi.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Warning: This chapter contains a 1**__**st**__** half of season 5 canon spoiler**_

Rebirth – chpt 7.

By: sifi.

OOooOO

She shut off the faucet, wiped her hands dry and reached over to spread the towel out on the bar above the toilet. Her eyes fell to the garbage can.

She picked it up and looked at a fist sized clump of grass deep inside. She set the can down, shut off the light and sat on the side of Dean's bed.

She sighed.

"My love," she smiled tracing the lines of his face with a feather light touch. "I'm so sorry."

Gingerly she crawled to his right and stretched out on her side content to watch over him.

OOooOO

Sam paced, his thumbnail slowly giving way under the onslaught from his teeth. Bit by bit he pulled tiny pieces from it. He glanced at Cernunnos then continued to pace.

"It's been hours, we should've heard from Mustardseed at least!"

"Easy young king..."

"Don't tell me to take it easy! Something's wrong!" he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, "I just know it."

"Have you had..."

"No I haven't had a vision."

He shook his head, his hair flying out as his teeth cut a 'v' into his somehow offensive thumbnail, "I need to find them." He spoke more to himself than to the stag antlered deity, then wheeled on the ancient being, "Why... what's happening to us? Dean and me? Why can we suddenly do things we never dreamed of?"

Beneath that cascade of wooly curls the ally sighed, "All beings must believe they are capable of a thing before they can achieve a thing."

Clenching his teeth, his jaw muscles jumping, the young hunter half yelled, "We don't want it! Neither of us! This bullshit is killing him and it's hurting everyone around us! Everything we do just sinks us in deeper and deeper!" his voice broke, "There has to be a way to stop it."

Lines of care grew deep in the God's face. He liked these boys, these humans. He always had and each time he saw their various incarnations through what was coming he wished he could help them stop it. They never wanted it, the power, the responsibility, any of it.

_At least this time they're accustomed to the responsibility._ He thought. "The only way out is through."

"Yeah. It's always like that isn't it?" Sam snarled then wheeled around facing the far side of the realm, his belly twitching to the point of nausea, "Something's wrong. I have to find them." It wasn't a question, it wasn't asking for permission. He strode off for the last place he'd seen his demi-god and child.

The god of fertility and rebirth smiled sadly, watching him leave and knowing everything was happening just as it was supposed to.

OOooOO

"You know I heard about your kind. 'The Ultimate' in devotion, but y'know those accounts don't do you justice." He grinned leaning against her. "A woman like you, so deeply in love with a creature like Sam Winchester, it's such a shame. Not that there's anything wrong with him, I have to admit I kinda like the kid. He's got spunk, unlike that walking wet blanket of a brother. Now that's a guy who used to know how to have fun, but Sam, Sammy's a man with a future! Don't you agree?" he looked down at her rapidly expanding belly and patted it as she groaned and squealed with the pain of such sudden isolated growth, "I can almost taste your desire to please him, to give him the children he craves, I mean who'da thunk it? I'd've thought it'd be the big dumb lug, of course he wants his own brand of squealing wet filled flesh bags but thank God that's not gonna happen!" he laughed just a little madly as she screamed with the sudden pain of labor and strained against the bindings cutting into her wrists and ankles, "Get it? God... thank GOD?" He watched her hands grow deep red fur and begin to shrink before they snapped back to human form.

He flicked the thick rope-like filament that wrapped around her wrist, "It's not called binding weed for nothing. Can't have you shifting now can I?" he sighed watching her face intently as she tried to keep the pain inside, to keep him from taking pleasure in her torment. "If you want it to stop I told you all you have to do is tell me where the firstborn is. That's all I want."

"OOoooh Gooood!" she cried and panted as she endured the eighth consecutive still birth he'd somehow brought on her.

"There you go! Now you're getting' it!" he slapped the tender, exposed underside of her arm and smirked, looking down between her parted knees. "Let it out! Come ON! Shout it out !" he bellowed, his lips curled back over his teeth in his growing fury. "Just scream for him! Maybe he'll come for _you_! Maybe he'll come for something close to one of the ..." he stopped short and pressed his face almost nose to nose with hers, "Cause GOD knows he won't come for his own children!" he hissed.

She screamed and pushed, then gasped and cried when something wet hit the floor a split second before she could breathe again. By the third breath the pressure began to build again and once more her belly began to expand, to contain a child that would never live.

OOooOO

"Wait!" Dean shouted bolting wide awake, gasping for breath and dripping with sweat. He turned blood shot eyes to the woman sitting quietly beside him, the warmth from where her finger had seconds earlier pressed against his temple ghostly in its lingering effect. "Sam! He's about to make a horrible mistake."

"I know." She nodded.

"I have to stop him." He threw the blankets off and pulled his jacket on, sliding whatever he might need into his pockets and onto his person.

"Yes." She agreed.

He touched the side of his head, "You know what'll happen if..."

She climbed off the bed grasping his face between her hands, "I'll get set here, if you're not fast we could lose them both."

"I'll be fast." He nodded unable to shake the bloody, fleshy vision that clotted the carpet of his brain.

Feeling more energy than he had in days Dean turned, tapped the air and slipped between worlds hot on his little brother's trail with a warning of impending tragedy that could not cut through the younger man's fear.

When he was gone, Laura sat for a moment on the bed and yawned slowly rebuilding the energy she'd given to the man she loved so that he could save the person who meant the most to him in the world. _I have GOT to remind him how to draw energy from the world around him._

Feeling a resurgence in her own energy levels she quickly set up a treatment area for Kitsune, if her vision was right the demi-god would need a lot of help before she'd be able to recover.

OOooOO

Mustardseed crouched taking great pains to move stealthily through the brambles and low slung growths. From his own childhood he'd been raised a hunter and warrior. One who would be responsible for the welfare of his people and he took that responsibility to heart. His kin and the child of his chosen king had been ruthlessly attacked, now one was dead and the other, unknown. He prayed that the demi-god still had the child, and he prayed that she didn't. He called to the creatures of the wood beseeching them for help in his quest. _"Find the child."_ He pleaded, _"And if you come upon it, and it no longer lives, then it is your duty to hunt down its killer and destroy them without mercy!"_ There were some creatures he knew were spoiling for a kill, _"but if it lives... protect it and be favored of the Gods."_ And most he knew would protect a pup with their very own lives if necessary.

The demi-god's blood drew him forward. While others including the monks would seek and sniff out the child, some moving easily between realms to do so, he would learn of the young king's woman and if possible save her at the very least.

OOooOO

"Sam!" Dean called quietly then eased into a jog toward the younger man. "Wait up."

"Dean? You still look like shit."

"I feel better. Look something's wrong."

"I know."

"No, not like that, I mean it's a trap."

Sam huffed and ran his fingers through his sweat damp hair, "Should I be surprised?"

Dean shook his head, "No."

"Who set it?"

"I don't know."

"Then how do you know it's a trap?" Sam asked angered by the delay.

"I had a vision, or Laura gave me a vision, I'm not sure which... I wish she'd told me this was going to happen." He muttered.

"You had a vision? Or Laura gave you one? Told you what was going to happen? How..." he stopped abruptly, "Y'know what I don't even care how. I don't care how or why about any of this anymore Dean I'm sick of it and I know you have to be too."

The older man nodded, "Yeah but it's not like we can go backwards y'know? And even if we could undo everything it'd just happen all over again, the only way we can stop it is by going through it."

Sam chuckled mirthlessly, "That's what Cernunnos said."

"Mm, smart guy. Look..." he pointed to a trail of smoke rising into the sky about two thirds of the way to the horizon, "Is that where you think they are?"

"That's where I feel her."

"Can you feel the baby?" Dean asked then winced at the troubled frown on his brother's face.

"No."

"He's gotta be alright Sam. If he wasn't you'd know right?"

He turned glassy eyes on his big brother, "I hope so."

"Alright, good... we have to go in there smart, if something got its hands on Kitsune it has to be powerful."

"She was wounded, I never should have let her go. I sent Mustardseed and Aleheth with her, neither of 'em got back to the veiled realm."

"Wounded or not Kitsune isn't just her name, it's _what_ she is. You know what they are Sam? Guardians, lovers, mates, but their first skill is battle. Very few things can stand up to a kitsune in protector mode whether they're wounded or not, it's like hitting a bear with a bb gun, you're just gonna piss it off y'know?"

"So what _could_ stand up to one in protector mode?" Sam asked while they continued on at an easy lope toward the line of smoke.

"Another demi-god, a god, maybe higher level angels, maybe higher level demons,"

"And we've got all of the above trying to piss in our cheerios."

Dean nodded, "The only thing I'm sure of is it ain't gonna be some kitchen witch. Whatever it is, it's going to have some kick behind it." Dean slowed to a stop.

Sam did the same and turned to the older man, "So what was it you saw?"

OOooOO

He grasped her under the arms, her hands and feet still bound. Her mouth stuffed and gagged. The only sign of the twenty three still birth's she'd been made to endure was a huge pool of sweat on the floor of the shack. There were no baby bodies, only the continuous horrible wrenching sensation of birth after birth. She was close now. The agonies layered upon one another leaving her close to madness, the chemical changes his little prank had caused to her body and mind left her malleable and in far too much pain to function, let alone be a threat to his plans now.

He set her in a chair binding her hands to the arms, and her feet to the legs.

Crouching at her side he pointed to a saloon style mirror on the far wall, it's backing was freckled with age, the silver corroded through in many places, but it would serve his purpose.

"Now, since you can't seem to play nice... you're really not giving me any other choice here. I will have that child..."

"Mmm?" she grunted.

"Huh? Oh why?" he asked then nodded as she looked up at him from beneath her lashes.

"Well leverage for starters. I mean it was all fine well and good when the guys were each other's Achilles heels y'know? Ooooh speaking of Achilles, just so you know... the story was true, he was an amazing little bag of wet and squishy right from the get go. But I digress, the point is, the child is leverage against both of them. If they ever thought about combining their power in a united effort... well that would just... pardon the language, fuck everything up, maybe even to hell and back. Hmm anyway, that's why I want the child, and that's why I'm beyond caring who or what I have to kill to get it. These boys are going to play the parts they're given and put an end to the bickering, the backstabbing, the bemoaning! For once there will be peace!"

She shook her head just before he grabbed it and forced her to watch in the mirror as he worked his particular set of skills. In seconds she watched her exhausted battered countenance trade places with his slightly mad one.

She shook her head. In the mirror, it appeared that he was now the one tied up and gagged and she the one who was free. _A glamour... he won't fall for it. He'll know._ She hoped.

He leaned down to her ear, in the reflection it was her own image that leaned down to whisper to his.

"Now we wait."

OOooOO

A series of shrill racking cries coursed up into the trees. Wings fluttered and flapped. A blackbird bobbed on a branch. It called a response. Another blackbird arrived.

The cry sounded again.

The two birds took wing, gliding down to a cluster of boulders. Not so far away a third blackbird fought the earth for one of its prizes.

A bright coffee colored eye peered into darkness. The blackbird chirped.

The cry came again. It cocked its head and hopped toward the opening. Its mate perched atop the rocks ever watchful. It peered inside and chirped.

The cries turned to hiccoughs.

The bird hopped forward into the dark, soon after so did its mate.

Eventually the bird with the prize made its way inside as well.

OOooOO

"Laura'll be ready?" Sam asked as they caught sight of the shack.

"Yep, she's all stocked up with fresh med supplies, we just need to get your girl home." Dean nodded.

With a glance at the shack, then to each other, they each gave a quick nod then separated. Sam headed around to the back of the structure while Dean waited and watched for activity.

He waited one minute, then two. Thirty seconds later he was less than five yards from the front door. He counted down the last thirty seconds knowing Sam was doing the same and when the instant came, both the front and rear door of the shack flew open, the boys lurched inside, quickly taking stock then stood glancing from each other to the far wall where an old familiar face sat tied and gagged in a chair and a very weary Kitsune slumped with relief.

Sam raced to her and drew her into his arms holding her tight, "Thank God you're okay. You're okay right?" he asked cupping her face and looking deep into her eyes as she nodded.

"I am now Sam."

The younger man wheeled striding with barely contained fury toward the bound being they'd discovered was the angel Gabriel masquerading as a trickster. "You son of a bitch!" he roared, his fist cranked back to deliver a merciless blow in spite of the rapidly shaking head and wide eyes before him.

"Sam! No!" Dean caught his fist in mid swing. "Don't play its game. Don't give it that kind of satisfaction."

Kitsune hobbled to them from across the room, the slender arm winding around Sam's slim waist, "Can we just kill it and go home now? Please?"

"Only an angel can kill another angel." He said softly.

"Or a God." She returned.

Sam turned to her, "Where's the baby?"

Her mouth turned down sadly, "I don't know. I lost consciousness, when I awoke I was here and the baby was gone."

Dean turned grasping the bound angel by the chin. "Get her home Sam, I'm gonna have a little heart to heart with Gabriel here." The head in his hand shook frantically side to side, the eyes wide and pleading.

"Dean you're not in any shape to take on..."

"I think I've got enough for this." His voice was low and deadly, "Don't worry Gabe, you'll have your chance..."

"Dean you should kill it if you can." Kitsune sighed leaning into Sam's embrace.

Sam stepped forward, his eyes on the bright blue ones in the chair, "She's right Dean. I don't know about you but I've had enough of this son of a bitch and all his son of a bitchin' brothers that won't leave us the hell alone!" he growled.

"I said I'll take care of it Sam," he clapped the larger man on the shoulder, "get her safe. Laura will get her fixed up in no time."

"If you need..." Sam nodded then reached out, clamping his fingers into reality and drawing it quickly aside, taking the Japanese woman with him.

With Sam gone Dean leaned close, "Now..."

OOooOO

Tbc.

Please review.

Thank you.

Sifi.


	8. Chapter 8

Rebirth – chpt 8

By: sifi.

OOooOO

With Sam gone, Dean leaned close, "Now..." he pulled his ruby tinged blade from its sheath, the supernaturally forged instrument sliced cleanly through the binding weed not only setting Kitsune free physically but also of the glamour as well. "Let's get you safe." He tapped the air and scooped her into his arms.

"You knew?" she asked but eased herself to her feet, "Neil. We have to find him. Aleheth must've taken and hidden him..." she gazed tearfully up into his face, "I cannot fail him! I will not allow harm to come to his child!"

Dean gave a nod of understanding, "Alright, let's go."

With a quick turn, her human form was traded for that of the vixen.

With her nose literally to the ground she took off, zig sagging over the ground, trying to find the scent of the newborn with Dean close behind.

OOooOO

Sam wrapped his arm around the tiny Japanese woman at his side and hooked his fingers into the air.

"We have to find the baby. We have to find your son!" she urged frantically pulling at his jacket. "You can feel him, you'll find him Sam I know you will."

He turned, his gaze softened looking down into those earnest brown eyes, "Laura's waiting to help you."

Her head shook, "No, I'll be fine the baby won't be."

He seemed to think for a moment before finally giving in and nodding, "Where were you when you lost consciousness?"

"On a pass in the mountains," her hand reached up and covered his, "Let me guide you?" she asked.

He nodded flexing his fingers quickly.

Together they pulled gently, the world outside moving slowly by, hundreds of miles per second, through plant and earth, stone and water safely encapsulated while the world literally passed them by.

"Around here," Kitsune breathed, her strong warm hand over his, manipulating the curtain until they stood amidst several sets of footprints and one very large blood stain beside one far smaller one.

Sam looked down at the blood then all around, _mark this spot in my mind. Feel it, know it. _He told himself before he grasped the tiny woman to his side in a steely grip and yanked hard on the veil.

"Sam what're you doing!" she cried and clutched at him as he sank his fingers deeper into the fabric, and at just the right moment let go of his 'passenger' as the realm came to a jerking stop, literally throwing her out into a clearing.

Sam watched, his frown dark and menacing, clinging to the veil by one hand as the body that looked like Kitsune, while in mid flight shifted, melted and warped until their old acquaintance resumed his disguise.

Sam held out his free hand focused on stopping and controlling his 'companion'. With a flick of his head to the side the creature thumped to earth on its feet.

"So you figured it out! What're you gonna do Sam? Kill me?" the Gabriel in his trickster-suit taunted in spite of the fact that he was visibly shaken by this display of power from the young Winchester.

"I'm thinking about it."

"You've tried it before, you'll only fail again."

Sam's gaze moved behind the runaway angel, he gave a nod.

Gabriel turned, his eyes narrowed as Laura tossed a book of matches onto a tiny ring of holy oil whose dimensions had to be horribly constricting to the angel.

"Howdy cherub." She greeted then found a nice comfortable tree to lean against.

"YOU!" he snarled.

"Me."

"You filthy..." he didn't get to finish whatever insult he was about to sling. Instead he felt himself pressed against the wall of flame, held there by Sam's will.

"You might want to not finish that sentence." He warned then let Gabriel go as he approached the flames.

"You can't keep me here forever."

"Actually I can." He nodded and swung his arm around the area, "This little spot here? It's part of the realm. It's been designated just for you."

"You can't..." the angel argued wheeling around in a circle. His body shook as he tried to will himself from the ring.

"I can." He glanced at his brother's woman, "Can't I Laura?"

She nodded vigorously, "Oh yeah. No one will free him without your order."

"She's NOT Laura anymore you big dumb idiot! Don't either of you know that! Can't either of you see she's no more a human than..." he turned around looking, "That rock over there! And she's leading you both down the same path that's gonna turn you into something that's not even remotely human anymore either!" he ground through clenched teeth and a mad chuckle.

"Well you're right about one thing..." Dean said, sliding from his own portion of the realm into this one with Kitsune at his side. Sam held his arms open for the woman as she leaped into his embrace and happily peppered his face with kisses. "She's not human, but we already knew that. All the rest my friend, you've got just a little wrong."

"If anyone's been 'leading' us down any path its you asshats." Sam pointed out then glanced questioningly at Dean who gave a faint nod before clapping him on the shoulder, "If your renegade armagedsquad had just shown some faith instead of getting the ball rolling to destroy this world then we wouldn't be standing here now and your side wouldn't be on the verge of losing this war!"

"We're on the same side you idiots!" Gabriel shouted.

Sam walked Kitsune over to Laura who took gentle charge of the woman and left the boys to do as they would with their prisoner.

"I don't wanna destroy humanity, do you Sam?"

"Nuh, nope that wasn't in the plans this morning, or ever."

"And I seem to recall a vital piece of information being missing about the whole killing Lilith thing... like the fact that SHE was the last seal? I mean we know what? At least three angels?" Dean continued.

"Four. Now that we know him."

"Right, so at the time we knew three angels and not a single one of them told us that she was the key to his hell cell right?"

"Right." Sam nodded, "Cause I figure, no matter how much I really enjoyed dismantling that bitch's atomic structure, if I'd known it would unlock that door, I think I might've been able to summon up enough control to not do it." He met Dean's eyes, "It was kind of a quick death, way too good for her... if I had it to do all over again, I'd make it last... hell she might even still be alive... ish."

Waves of heat borne of Sam's hatred for Lilith buffeted the older Winchester, the depth of his little brother's rage a surprise to him though he couldn't have said why.

"Your time is over! It's time for US to take charge of this world!" Gabriel raged.

"Cause you'd do such a much better job of taking care of it than we have!" Dean snipped with a snarl curling his lip.

"You're damned right we would!"

"Sure cause you have so much respect for the life your God cherishes. Because you have so much more respect for each other, risen angels, fallen ones than we have for our own risen and fallen?"

"Exactly!"

The brothers looked at each other shaking their heads in disbelief.

"And they say _we're_ prideful." Dean shook his head.

A sneer twisted Sam's face as he approached the captive, "I know why you want us gone. You look at us and see the same qualities you wish you could deny in yourselves. Envy, Pride, Wrath... any of this ringing a bell?"

"Do what you brought him here for Sam." Dean shook his head disgusted.

"Us? Those are mortal sins pal, emphasis on _mortal_." Gabriel retorted.

Sam huffed then ticked them off one by one, "Gluttony, you want the world, you want it all for _yourselves_; Sloth, you won't fight your own battles or learn the art of creation,"

"Yeah grow some scrote junkless." Dean growled.

Holding back his smile Sam continued, "you'd rather manipulate others into doing the work for you; Greed, you want it _all_ and you don't want to share;" Sam cocked his head to the side, "Seriously none of this is clicking into place for you? Lust…"

"Mmm lust… I love Lust…" Dean smiled dreamily.

The captive angel rolled his eyes. Sam smiled and flushed with affection for the simplicity of his big brothers' base nature.

"Lust… for power, for your father's affection, for some kind of acknowledgement;" he continued, "Envy, you envy and covet the gift that mortal man has been given; Pride, well look at your brother… look what kind of hot water it got HIM in when his pride had him challenging your 'father'; and finally Wrath, I'm thinking destroying all of humanity and the world just because you can't have what we've got is kinda wrathful or am I getting things wrong?" he asked angrily.

"And this is so benign." Gabriel argued indicating his cage.

"Compared to what I'd _like_ to do to you? It's a genuine blessing." He sneered. His arm shot through the holy fire unscathed and grasped the angel by his shirtfront, pulling him so his face was only millimeters from the destructive power.

"C'mon Sam, this isn't like you, it's not your nature…" he struggled against the monstrously powerful grip. "A few singed feathers are one thing… no problem they grow back y'know? Let's not get carried away here…" he strained to keep his face away from the flames. His eyes flicked from the flame to Sam, the molten copper glow deep in his blue-greens wasn't lost on the heavenly being.

Sam's other hand shot through the flame, palm pressed to the angel's forehead. Sam's jaw clenched as his will forced its way into the angel's consciousness, "It's a shame they killed the child, it would've made good leverage against them. What do we do now?" He pushed watching the force of his own will wash a copper glow through the captive creature.

"It's a shame they killed the child, it would've made good leverage against them." Empty eyes looked into his, "What do we do now?" the angel asked.

Sam looked to Dean who nodded. He removed his hands from the angel and waited until awareness returned to it. "…so you go tell your brothers and sisters that we are not going to play your game. You want to have your battle against Lucifer? You want to smite him, grow the balls to do it your damned selves!" He turned to his brother, "C'mon Dean. We're done here."

"You can't leave me here!" Gabriel shouted.

Dean turned, "It'll rain eventually."

Together the Winchesters stepped from the realm, neither of them having bothered to even create a door. Neither of them had thought about it.

OOooOO

They appeared in the motel room where Kitsune lay on Sam's bed where Laura was stitching her side together while Castiel watched.

"You did find him right? He's okay?" Sam asked as soon as they were firmly in their own reality.

Dean clapped him on the shoulder, "He's okay. Mustardseed called on some help."

"What kind of help?"

"The creatures of the wood." Castiel answered then rose and shook their hands in turn. "Sam I am sorry. I truly have no idea how those demons tracked me."

"You want some nokian sigils on Jimmy's bones?" Dean asked.

"That might be a wise."

"Throw some..." Sam started.

"Yeah seals of Solomon too..." Dean finished and raised his hand.

"Are you sure you can tolerate it?" Sam asked.

"Go look in the bathroom." Laura told him then snipped the end of the final suture in Kitsune's side.

His eyebrow spocked curiously and he turned toward the darkened room with Dean on his heels.

He turned on the light his eyes instantly drawn to the garbage can and the lush greenery overflowing its edges. The needle like tips of grass reached straight toward the ceiling while several vines had thrown themselves over the rim and were crawling up the side of the sink.

"What the hell?" the older man breathed.

"Dean..." Sam sighed, his brows furrowed, his mouth tight.

"Interesting, and admittedly impressive." Castiel nodded from behind them.

Dean turned, his eyes meeting Laura's, "Is that...what I yakked up?"

She nodded opening her arms, her expression hopeful that he would move into them.

"Did you know?" he went to her without thought.

"I knew it would happen eventually." She nodded.

"And you didn't tell me... why?" he pressed his lips to her temple holding her tightly to keep himself from trembling.

"There's still so much..." she whispered.

"You'll tell me later." He instructed.

"Yes."

"Everything."

"Yes."

"All I had to do was ask wasn't it?"

"Yes."

He groaned and shook his head then pressed her to his chest, "Woman."

His hand shot out toward Castiel, a glow passed through the angel as he took a shuddering breath and a step backwards. "Thank you." He nodded.

"Keep us up to date Cas." Dean nodded holding out his right hand while his left kept his woman pressed tightly to him.

"I will." The angel shook his hand, "With Gabriel under Sam's influence there's only one other angel that knows the child is alive and he won't be so easy to trap or manipulate."

"Lucifer." Sam nodded, his arm draped over Kitsune's shoulder.

"Yes. I believe it was he who read the truth from Mr. Crowhawk and his presence that killed the nurse. You may want to consider whether or not Mr. Crowhawk should live..."

"If we do anything to him we'll bind him. He could come out of this on his own." Sam said firmly.

"That is your choice. As long as the child remains safely hidden, it's a futile chase."

"Let him run himself ragged." Dean nodded.

Castiel nodded and for the first time in a long time left the Winchester brothers confident that he could no longer be used to harm them.

"He IS safe right Dean?" Sam asked again.

He let go of Laura and turned to the man he raised, "I swear to you Sam, your son is alive and well."

"And in excellent care my king." Kitsune finished.

Overwhelmed he clasped Kitsune and Dean into his embrace, his breath trembling with gratitude while he swallowed back the joyful tears that wanted to come.

"So tell us," Sam reached over, drawing Laura too into his embrace. He kissed her temple then pressed his forehead to it breathing his relief. "What else is coming? What's happening to Dean and me?" he asked.

With a warm kiss to his cheek she leaned lightly against Dean, taking his lips with her own.

"You both already know what's happening."

"Are Enki and Marduk..." Sam shook his head, "They're not going to wake up and..." he chuckled nervously, "you know... take us over or something are they?"

"No." she shook her head as each couple drifted to their separate bed.

Dean's fingers wove between hers, he kissed the back of her hand but his eyes never left Sam's. Their nervousness was palpable.

"I haven't been fighting Michael using me just to turn into a meatsuit for a god that wants to come back." He shook his head, confusion twisting his face, "But that doesn't feel right Sam. Does it to you?"

"No. It really doesn't."

"So what's happening?" he asked Laura, "You're the one who's been, the one who's closest to... well you mostly are now aren't you? Ina I mean. You're more her than Laura aren't you?" Dean asked almost afraid to hear the truth his heart was almost certain of. "That's how you got your memories back. You're Inanna riding my girl."

"Do you believe that? Or is that what you're afraid of?" she asked.

Mist came to his eyes as he swept his hand down his face, his whispered admission was a thunderclap in the otherwise silent room, "I'm afraid."

She shook her head stroking his hair and face and pressed her mouth to his, "Who am I?"

"Laura." he kissed her again, "Ina." And again, "Love." And one more time, "Mine."

"Yes." She sighed holding him close, knowing the next few words would either set their minds at ease or leave them more frightened, and resistant to the changes that were coming.

"When a demon possesses you, or a wraith, or anything that can use a human does so, the person you are is pushed aside, your personality, your will... Sam you know this."

He nodded, "Yeah."

"Your souls are those of two of the most powerful deities in human history, and they reside within you. You've used their powers, you've allowed them to use you as well."

"Right. Tell me they're not gonna wake up and want to share time." Dean asked.

"No." She shook her head, "You two _are _Enki and Marduk, and they are becoming you."

"How is that not taking us over?" Dean asked as Sam's head dropped and he shook it back and forth.

"Listen," she held his face in her hands, her eyes driving into his, "_they _are becoming _you._ They are... letting go. They've kept their personalities separate from yours, they've kept their histories, their _stories_ largely from you both, from your minds. What you've experienced of their first incarnations was a keyhole glimpse into Oz. They know what's coming and they know that in order to save the world Enki and Ina created, they have to trust you two to do the job, so they're letting go of themselves. Everything they are, ever were, and maybe even ever will be are going to be accessible to each of you."

"No." Dean shook his head, fear and horror on his face that mirrored Sam's.

"Yes." Laura nodded.

"Dumb it down one more step?" Sam groaned.

"You two will become living, breathing Gods."

OOooOO

End.

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